Community Invited to Honor Historic Pass and Join City-Led Hike
The City of Santa Clarita invites residents and community members to celebrate the Dedication of Beale’s Cut on Wednesday, November 18, at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will take place at 22682 Sierra Highway, at the beginning of the Beale’s Cut Trailhead. Because parking at the site is limited, attendees are asked to arrive early, park at the Whitney Canyon Trailhead Parking Lot (20203 Newhall Avenue) and use the Santa Clarita Transit shuttle service to reach the Dedication. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to join a Community Hike led by City staff to see Beale’s Cut. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water.
Beale’s Cut is a landmark in the history of travel through the Newhall Pass. In the 1860s, General Edward Fitzgerald Beale oversaw work to cut a passage through the mountain, creating a route for stagecoaches, wagons, horses and travelers moving between Los Angeles and regions to the north. The demanding hand-cut passage was an important link before the Newhall Tunnel opened nearby in 1910 and made the route obsolete. The dramatic cut also became a favorite location for early filmmakers. Silent-era directors, including D.W. Griffith and John Ford, used it as a backdrop for Westerns and action scenes. Among the films associated with the site are Ford’s Straight Shooting (1917), The Iron Horse (1924) and Stagecoach (1939), as well as the legendary Tom Mix picture Three Jumps Ahead (1923), known for its iconic horse-and-rider leap across the cut, which was brought to life with a little movie magic.
Recognizing its historical significance, Beale’s Cut was designated California Historical Landmark No. 1006 in 1992. In 2025, the City acquired the approximately 13-acre parcel containing Beale’s Cut as part of a broader effort that added approximately 670 acres across multiple properties to the City’s Open Space Preservation District. The City worked with then-State Senator Scott Wilk’s office to secure $7 million in state funding for open-space acquisitions. These acquisitions help connect protected lands and strengthen wildlife corridors. The City thanks Senator Wilk and his office for their partnership in preserving this historic landmark and Santa Clarita’s natural spaces.
The Dedication event and Community Hike will offer residents an opportunity to recognize the site’s role in regional transportation, local film history and the story of the Santa Clarita Valley. For more information, visit SantaClarita.gov or contact the City of Santa Clarita Communications Division at (661) 255-4903.
